Ball-and-socket type oarlock



Aug. 15, 1950 R. s. TRAVIS BALL AND SOCKET TYPE OAR LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1946 9 m 7 k 7 2 I 2 I M 2 w w l /m 5 I n I I 8 m. 2. mo F2 a m 0 n 2 O M I 9 2 Z M Inventor Reginald 8. Travis y flow Attorneys Aug. 15, 195.0 s, TRAVls 2,518,648

BALL AND SOCKET TYPEQOAR LOCK Filed Dec. 20, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Reginald 3. Travis Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED sures 2, 6: KALEL'AND"SOGKET I PE QARLQ K. Reginald S. Travis, Olymp a-, Appli at n Decembe 20, 16 erial its? 4- Claims. (01.: sis-2m invention relates to certain new and use Hit impfovements oar locks and has reference particular to novel balland socket means siacli as provides fora free opera-ting connection be tween one; ofa pair of oars customary gun- W'alles or" 9/- row boat 01* the like.

MoreeX plici-tly; the invention; has to dowith structural and function-ail improvements b'as'e'd 6 1 a similar-oar lock disclosed Patent 1,627, 1 28 grantee; fie date" of--May 3, 1927:;

Brie'fi-y; the pilot patent noted comprises a sectional bristling, the complementa-l section's 8t} which are-fastened: th Gar" Shaft to provi'de bbill-like jointing means, and the latter is seated? amnion-rites in arr-oat lock construction flal astei -ized by s'(x-"liet' lik'e mcunthaving parts nericai portions or" arms space apart 11,1; sucha ay to anew the" busni eeeuippee ear: snare be irisl td an'd. fliiiov'e'd.

In carrying out the improvements of the iiistant invention a struetar'ani'y' ifferent socket used, the embodyin a: webwhich cdi' imeets said ar rns,v this" in such" a manner as to define a subzs'tantialll y spherical socket with d metrically opposite sluts, whereby te wholly e a brace sectional bushing means of the sliaftand to retain the parts assembled; permitting; a the same time; the universal jointingresu lt we di- 7 Ai iothei oba'ee't of the invention is to empmy' bellow Shellatype bushingsections, these being J sppl'icame te the car s'l iaffrby way of the aforesaid: slots and afiter said shat-t has been inserted endwis'e andpassed through said slots, whereby to facilitate assembling and repairing while, at the same time, maintaining a proper jointing connection between said shaft, bushing means and th enq e ne sock t- A further object of the invention i'sto pro-1 vide at r mount nd 9 where n all essary vements of the oars may be adequately and satisfactorily attained; the structural meanserii jloy'e'd inachieving suchen ds; being strong an i reliable yet comparatively simple a effe e"- tram point of view of manufacturers and usersalike; v

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawmgs.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the various views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary illustration of certain old parts, in conjunction with an improved ball and socket type oar lock constructed in ac- 2; cordiar ice with the invention the latter being" l liliim Figure 2 'i s a cifitrlal vertical selct'iorla l taken approximately on the plane at the 2 2-' Of- Figlil 1, iii the dil Gfidfi 01 th Figure is-a nerizo'ntat seeti'on errthe line 3 -e o'f' 1 making: in the direction or the arrows;

Ftg ti re' 4 is a fragmentary perspective new show a; portion or oar shaft and one of the improved bushing sectic'iris; about read-y to a; attached thereto- Figure 5 is: a eentrar vertical sections-i tnrcu gntbe seclretunit. persle.

Fi ure 6 ac tra-l vertical section on the line; ti -=16 of- Figure 5, in the directiomot the arrows, V t

Figure '7=' is a horizontal section on the line Jf-==1 of- Figure: 5, looking in the direction ot the arrows Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1', 2 and; 3',-th boat, or-igunwaie thre of, is denoted by the reference numera'i 9i At v tachedfi to this is an: oar-lock foundation and anchoring. fixture, the latter denoted, unitari-l y speaking, by the numeral W. Said fixture com prises an elongated mound portion including a fiat surfaced foundation 1 3' provided withtrans; verse longitudinally spaced" assembling flanges; M. Also forming a part or said fixture is: acentral depending tubular bearing t5,- therlatter serving" to" accommedate'theoar'leck stud or pin it. Said pin IE is an integral part of the: substantially spherical socket unit 1 depends the basal port-ion l-& of said unitt- Said basal-r portion is of enlarged head -ilike foi rir inrespect tdtthe' pin and has a fiat bottomed surface 59? which rests nicely and properly on the coeactin g" top surtace i3: 01- sa'id mdu-nda- In addition said basa'l portion- I-8 includesoutstanding marginar flanges of segmental fiormavhiehfit under arci'iate flanges I4 and are thus keyed-in place. They flanges-on said basal portion are denotedby the numerals 2.0. This arrangement serm to keythe spherical socket toi theafi-xturfep to: stabilizertl ie relative ar rangement and to permit the desired oscillation of said socket in relation to the fixture and boat gunwale. Considering now the construction of the body portion of the socket it will be noted the same is substantially spherical in general shape and form the lower portion thereof merga top web 23. The inner surfaces of the parts 2| to 23 are of such curvatures as to provide the desired spheroidal adaptation surfaces for the bushing means on the oar shaft 24. It will be noted too, that the formation of parts 2! to 23 is such as to define diametrically opposite slots 25 and 26 which slots serve to accommodate protruding end portions of the oar shaft and accommodate both axial and bodily rocking movements thereof. I might add at this point that the lowerhalf portions of the respective slots are provided with space narrowing flanges 21 (see Figs. 1 and which serve to maintain the parts in properly assembled relationship.

As before mentioned the bushing, which is carried by the oar shaft, is of sectional construction, the companion sections being duplicates, one of the other. Each section'is" fashioned from a plate whose major portion is of elongated concavo-convex form thisllto provide a shell-like part. More specifically, the concavo-convex formation provides a part-spherical bulge which defines a so-called ball jointing element 28. Each section also has arcuate end flanges 29 (see Fig. 4 in particular), these flanges conforming in curvature to the correspondingly shaped surfaces of the car shaft. Then, too, each section has a screw-hole 30 with a countersunk marginal portion serving to provide ways and means to accommodate the attaching wood-type screw 3|. The fact that the spherical body of the car lock proper is substantially closed, except for the diametrically opposed entrance and oar accommodation slots, it is obvious that once the parts are assembled, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the association of same is then substantially permanent. In connection with the previous patented construction it was found that the bodily insertable and removable idea which was designed to facilitate attaching and detaching of the oar in relation to the oar lock proved out to be undesirable due to dislocation and accidental displacement of the oar in respect to its lock. With the improved adaptation herein disclosed, the more permanent relationship of parts has proved to be more satisfactory and desirable. And due to the construction under advisement, the step of assembling the oar in the socket necessitates placing the shaft endwise and passing it through and beyond the respective slots. Then, the shell-like bushing sections, denoted generally by the reference numerals 28 are placed in position and screwed into place as shown in dotted and full lines in Figure 2. Screw holes 30 are lined up withthe slots in the spherical body, making this assembling and fastening of parts practical. Although a special fixture I0 is shown as a foundational base to expedite adequate assembling of the spherical socket on the boat, said fixture and the mechanical association of the socket therewith is not claimed. A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader 4 to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having disclosed the invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. As a new article of manufacture'and as a component part of an oar lock construction of the class described, a base member having a depending anchoring and turning pin, and a body attached to and rising from said base member, said body being one-piece and of hollow form and defining a chamber, the walls of said chamber being substantially spherical and said body having vertically disposed diametrically opposite slots to accommodate co-acting portions of the shaft of a rowing oar, an oar including a shaft having a portion situated in said chamber and end portions extending through and beyond said slots, and shaft jointing and means operably mounted within the confines of said chamber and including complemental members detachably mounted on said shaft and accessible for removal and application by way of said slots.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, said members being a pair of complemental diametrically opposite duplicate half-sections, said halfsections being part-spherical in form.

3. The structure specified in claim 1, said members being a pair of complemental diametrically opposite duplicate half-sections, said halfsections being part-spherical in form, and each half-section being of hollow shell-like form and including a screw accommodation hole centrally located to facilitate the steps of assembling and disassembling.

4. In a ball and socket joint construction of the class described, a one-piece spherical socket provided with diametrically opposite slots, a shaft having a portion within the confines of said socket'and end portions projecting through and beyond the slots, a pair of duplicate diametrically opposite hollow part-spherical assembling and jointing members attached removably to diametrically opposite sides of said shaft member and operable within theconfines of said socket and secured in placeby readily available screws, the screws being accessible through said slots for assembling and disassembling purposes.

REGINALD S. TRAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 44,373 Norcross Sept. 20, 1864 173,560 Roseti Feb. 15, 1876 186,005 Graves Jan. 9, 1877 998,562 Young July 18, 1911 

